Band Program Wins 2024 Best Communities for Music Education Award

What does receiving this award mean?

Having received this award affirms the efforts of all involved in visioning for, establishing, and maintaining a program that stands second to none (ThePineCreekWay).

It is the act of receiving specific training that causes these benefits, not simply listening to music. Just as sole reliance on a calculator would be an insufficient replacement for a math teacher and instructing students to “just Google it” would be an inadequate replacement for purposeful instruction provided by a certified Teacher-Librarian, so would it be impossible for students to reap the benefits of all music has to offer if time, effort, and resources were not continually dedicated to its intentional instruction.

Why learn to play music?

According to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation’s “Why learn to play music?” pamphlet, the health, educational, cognitive, and social benefits of musical training cannot be understated. Research indicates strong connections between rhythm skills and pre-reading abilities in toddlers; that musical instruction encourages brain development in the areas that control fine motor skills and hearing in elementary-age students; that music learning fosters students’ development of skills such as perseverance, teamwork, compromise, creativity, and concentration; and that impact of having engaged in continuous music instruction can counteract negative effects of aging, such as memory and hearing difficulties in older adults.

A resounding applause for the educators, students, and parents who made this award possible. You make our hearts soar!